Badassery in the Kitchen: Teri Turner from No Crumbs Left Will Get You There

If you’ve been reading NYMM for a while, you know we are all about empowering women here. As the Founder, my message to women is simple: define your own success. Your life should be what you want it to be, not someone else’s ideal. Be you, do you!

Teri Turner, badass food blogger and Instagram influencer, is all about being herself and doing it fabulously!

Before I jump too far ahead, let me back up and explain how I found Teri…

Picture me roaming the aisles of Trader Joe’s trying to learn what I can eat that doesn’t have wheat, sugar, dairy, or corn in it. Try to do that next time you’re at your local grocery store; those four ingredients sneak into virtually EVERYTHING! I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (for the third time) and had to cut out these ingredients to reduce inflammation in my body.

I found myself in the chocolate bar aisle, sighing. A woman next to me started chatting with me. I told her my story, she told me hers. Then she says, “You’ve got to follow this lady on Instagram. She’s amazing. Her food is fantastic and she cooks healthy.”

Photo by Teri Turner from No Crumbs Left

Right then and there, I pull out my phone and get on Instagram to find none other than Teri Turner of No Crumbs Left.

Thus my stalking of Teri began. (It’s not really stalking as I’ve told Teri all this already.) Who I found is a woman who is passionate about food, cooks it with love, and shares it with the world.

During my own journey in learning how to fuel and heal my body with food, I was surprised to find myself empowered by cooking my food from scratch. As I shared my story with my friends, several of them kept urging me to make this a part of NYMM.

Taking ownership of what goes into your body carries so much power. How could I not share that with all the badasses in the NYMM community?! And to kick off our Be Healthy column, I went to Teri.

As I watched Teri’s Instagram stories, I was reminded of cooking with my mom, who is the ultimate badass. She makes everything from scratch and does it with love. So does Teri.

If you don’t have that experience with your mom, you need to check out Teri’s stories. She’ll teach you what clarified butter is, why it’s healthy, and how to make it. She’ll convince you homemade mayo is a must in your kitchen, and I’ve never been a mayo lover. She’ll introduce you to marinated onions and their special bowls!!! Trust me on that one.

You’ll learn about her “magic elixirs.” You’ll watch old school home cooking that has the added benefit of being healthy. Follow Teri’s step-by-step process, and you’ll look like a pro to your family, friends, or that new person in your life you’re too scared to cook for.

Teri makes the seemingly daunting world of healthy eating an achievable reality. Whether you’re following transformative diets like Paleo, impactful programs like Whole30, or just want to eat cleaner, you’ll learn a ton. Her food is good for you and tastes “fabulous.”

That is Teri’s word: fabulous. It’s how she approaches life, and it shows in her engaging Instagram stories. She’s real, relatable, and fun to watch. Why does this woman not have her own cooking show already?!

Because Teri promotes badassery, I wanted her to give our NYMM family some advice to learn and grow. And she even gave us a recipe!

NYMM: Why is being in the kitchen empowering to you?

TT: For me, it’s a little like a healing art. I love that you just start with your creativity and then it can take you anywhere. I like that it’s a way to quiet the mind. It’s something you can put a lot of love into, and the end result is typically something that is satisfying and delicious. I like what it produces: something that is delicious, nourishing, and of course that it’s something that I’m sharing with people I love.

NYMM: Like many badasses, you found this role by being open to what life has to offer. Can you tell us that story?

TT: Food is my love language. I’m a passionate lover of all things foody. I had a career, I had done different things, I’d been divorced and took time out to be with my kids. And my kids were getting ready to take flight. I also was starting to reflect on what I can do in my own life, and I was reflecting on what would be my next step. Just one miracle happened after another. If you believe in really good things happening, they’re much more likely to happen. I do believe in the power of positive thinking and the law of attraction. I couldn’t have dreamed in a million years of what direction or exactly where it’ll head. If you show up and do the right thing and the next right thing, that you’ll be lead there. I have a certain amount of faith in the process.

NYMM: You’re so you all the time. How do you stay on point and not get distracted as your platform grows?

TT: I’m really lucky. I have fantastic followers that support me who are great and always positive and give me affirmation to be myself.  But as you get bigger, you get the other side also. Part of what you have to realize is that it’s not even a story you’re in; it’s a story they’re in. When someone is spreading a lot of hate, it’s really a story about them and their own life, and it’s so important not to personalize it. I just have to say to myself “I’m not even in their story.” Their story isn’t even about me. And you also get people who want you to be a certain way, like they want you to clean your pan differently, or they don’t want you to call another woman “darling’. I always tell people, “Thanks for the feedback, and in the same token it’s important for me to stay true to who I am.” I don’t want to have to water myself down to be palatable for people.  You have to be able to take the good with the bad.

NYMM: What advice do you have for women who have dreams they want to pursue but are too afraid and talk themselves out with excuses?

TT: To me, it’s so important to have passion in your life and things you’re excited about. Don’t let anybody dissuade you from a dream or tell you it’s not possible. Don’t listen to those people and don’t be around those people. We must have things that we’re passionate about. My mom used to always say, “You have to have a reason to get you up in the morning.” Start with something simple; it doesn’t have to be a change in your occupation. Just something that lights your eternal fire. GO FOR IT! And understand that making a dream is about working hard. You can’t expect to get anywhere if you’re not willing to hustle. There’s being prepared, but there’s nothing in the world that beats working hard.

NYMM: Why is healthy food important to you?

TT: Your body is a temple. What we eat influences who we are, how we feel, and how we live our lives and our energy. My superpower is healthy food that tastes delicious. There’s a lot of great resources out there that help us cook healthier. There’s so many definitions for that: my son is a vegan. It’s not the same for everybody. One person can have dairy and there’s no problem; someone else can have gluten and not have a problem. Everyone has to go on a journey and find out. It’s important to me because I want to live my best life.

Photo by Teri Turner from No Crumbs Left

Check out the fresh and delicious Whole30-compliant recipe Teri put together!

Crispy Passport Chicken Salad with Green Goddess Dressing MAGIC ELIXIRS (TM)

Whole30 Green Goddess Dressing MAGIC ELIXIRS™ Ingredients:

• 3 oil-packed anchovy filets
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 cup Whole30 mayo
• 2 handfuls basil leaves
• 4 Tbsps fresh tarragon leaves
• ¼ cup parsley
• 3 Tbsps lemon juice
• 5 Tbsps olive oil
• 2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
• 2 pinches salt

For the Passport Chicken Marinade:

• 5 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsps dried oregano
• 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Everything else:

• 3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• 1-2 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• Lettuce (use your favorite greens)
• Arugula
• Cucumbers
• Radishes
• Olives
• Avocado
• Marinated Red Onions MAGIC ELIXIRS™

Make the dressing: Blend all the dressing ingredients to combine well. Taste the dressing and add salt, pepper, and more lemon juice for extra tang, if needed.

Make the chicken marinade: combine the olive oil, oregano, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper together.

This next step is tricky because you are going to use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts lengthwise, so be careful. For ease of cutting, freeze the chicken breasts for about an hour or two until they’re just partially frozen. Cut the breasts into strips, by laying them flat on a board, and covering most of the breast with one hand. Then slowly cut the breast lengthwise. Then cut again, so you end up with 3 thin slices.

Salt and pepper thoroughly. Place in a container with the marinade and marinate for an hour, or longer, depending on who much time you have.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsps of olive oil. Sauté the chicken pieces 2 minutes on each side.

Assemble your masterpiece beautifully on a platter.

Featured Image by Teri Turner

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